The fastest way to supplement potassium is intravenous potassium supplement, which is usually used for patients with severe potassium deficiency. Intravenous potassium supplementation is generally carried out by drip, the rate of potassium supplementation is 25 ~ 50 mmol/h, and the concentration of potassium chloride is1.5 ~ 3 g/L. Those with mild potassium deficiency can be supplemented by diet, oral administration or nasal feeding. Dietary potassium supplement is mainly to eat lean meat, vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and other foods with high potassium content. Potassium chloride containing 0.53 grams of potassium is the first choice for oral potassium supplementation.

Chinese food is usually diluted with 10% potassium chloride solution in juice or milk, which can reduce gastrointestinal reaction, and can also be replaced by potassium chloride controlled release tablets. It takes some time for potassium to enter cells, so potassium deficiency cannot be corrected immediately after potassium supplementation. If potassium is supplemented urgently, it may lead to hyperkalemia. Therefore, attention should be paid to monitoring the blood potassium level when supplementing potassium, especially in patients with renal failure. To find out the cause and primary disease of potassium deficiency, eliminate the cause and treat the primary disease. Potassium supplementation is the best way to supplement potassium, and the best way to supplement potassium is oral, that is, through food. Foods rich in potassium are: all kinds of meat, fruits, vegetables, beans, rice, millet and all kinds of flour.

If the potassium deficiency is serious or can not meet the dietary potassium supplement, potassium-containing drugs, such as potassium chloride injection, potassium chloride sustained-release tablets, magnesium and potassium preparations, etc. It can be administered orally or through the nose. Oral potassium chloride is the first choice. In order to reduce the stimulation of potassium on gastrointestinal tract, 10% potassium chloride solution can be added to appropriate juice or milk for oral or nasal feeding. Patients with serious life-threatening potassium deficiency should be given intravenous potassium supplementation. If there is no gastrointestinal dysfunction or gastrointestinal contraindications, intravenous potassium supplementation should be combined with oral or nasal feeding. After the condition is stable, intravenous potassium supplementation should be gradually stopped and oral or nasal feeding should be continued until blood potassium returns to normal.

The effect of potassium supplementation depends on the patient's blood potassium level, which is 3.5-5.5mol/L in normal people. Blood potassium is lower than 3.5mol/L, which can be diagnosed as hypokalemia. If the patient's blood potassium is only slightly decreased, for example, the patient's blood potassium is between 3 and 3.5 mol/L, oral potassium supplementation can be considered. If the patient's blood potassium is obviously low, and he has eating disorder or severe nausea and vomiting, he can choose intravenous potassium supplementation. Oral potassium supplementation may cause gastrointestinal reaction and stomach upset. For patients with digestive tract problems, intravenous potassium supplementation can be considered, the speed of intravenous potassium supplementation should not be too fast, and the concentration of potassium supplementation solution should not be too high. Blood potassium should also be closely monitored to avoid hyperkalemia.